


the house on the hill

by Liryczna



Category: Shards of the Sun
Genre: Gen, M/M, adoption tactics, family stuff?, the whole family yes, well one of them is missing at least but you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 16:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9280484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liryczna/pseuds/Liryczna
Summary: For a while it is perfect.





	

Olivia is the first one, although they do not make it official for years. Still, as soon as Cosimo is back from the Academy and sees the way the little girl follows Fyr around, awkwardly trying to keep up with his step, it is no longer a question of if, but when. Fyr plays with her in the early hours of the day and tells her stories in the middle of the night when she is not able to fall asleep anywhere else but tucked right by his elbow. Cosimo braids her hair every morning and teaches her magic after her talent manifests, just a little bit every day: a rune here and there, or a simple incantation to protect herself. (And some to cause mischief, because Fyr’s face always is hilarious when he is shocked.) They both heal her bruises and kiss better the cuts on her hands, just as they were told every parent should, and Fyr worries constantly, because of course he does, and Cosimo has to stop using every opportunity for innuendoes, because she keeps asking… And for a while it is perfect.   
  
One day he comes home alone and she knows, of course she knows, Ivia always was the smart one.   
  
  
  
Bartolomeo is the second by virtue of being the worst troublemaker their orphanage has ever seen. Lately, their house has been so empty Cosimo feels like screaming, so when Brewek starts to grumble about the kid and says something about him being a real pain in the ass, the decision is made. For the longest time, Meo does not speak to either of them, but he runs wild around the estate and breaks a thing or two. Or ten. Cosimo could not care less. When they start working on the garden, the boy settles, and falls asleep as soon as his head touches the pillow every night.  
  
When he finally hears him laughing about something with Ivia, Cosimo smiles as well.  
  
  
  
Petlamin and Ellamin come on the same day, and they claim to be twins, although one of them is a half-elf and the other is decidedly not. Cosimo agrees to take them, but not because the orphanage is almost too full at this time, and “two kids coming at the same time, Cos, you know how bad it is!” He is already thinking about furnishing another room with beds, and looking for a governess, so what would be the difference?  
  
Of course, he learns quite quickly that Pet is not to be trusted with anything delicate and El can set water aflame, but his house remains intact, even more so than before, and Cosimo decides to plant some sunflowers by the fence.   
  
They will look pretty, turning towards the sun.  
  
  
  
He has to fight for Magthana, because Luthas is a heartless thug of a healer, and he refuses every time Cosimo asks. “The girl is too young,” he claims, “and you have no experience taking care of toddlers on your own.” It takes him a few tries to finally get the old man to agree, and Tarya still has to oversee how they are doing from time to time. (She is not happy with that development, but Cornelia is on Cosimo’s side this time, and she demands, not asks.)  
  
They teach Mag to walk in the gardens, and the first step she takes squashes a poor daffodil into the ground right before she falls onto her back and starts to cry. Her second falls right on Prokopis’ tail, and Cosimo spends almost two hours trying to coax the damned cat from the roof with food and bribes.  
  
  
  
Oolassys comes last, holding Tarya’s hand and shivering madly, so Cosimo decides not to ask for an explanation from either of them. He puts her in a warm bath, steals some clothes from Ivia for her, and brushes long blond hair into a braid. He makes space for her in a wardrobe and buys her everything she needs and more. One or two times he sees her pack all that she owns and step onto the road right outside of his estate, clearly debating whether and where to go. It takes everything out of him not to go out and ask, or maybe beg, he is not sure.  
  
She stays.


End file.
